MONTGOMERY, N.J. (AP) – New Jersey education officials say a school was allowed to give detention to a sixth-grader who told a student who doesn’t eat meat that “vegetarians are idiots” and that “he should eat meat because he’d be smarter and have bigger brains.”

The Courier News of Bridgewater reports the state education commissioner’s office ruled the Montgomery school district was allowed to discipline the student.

It happened in the Lower Middle School in 2014. School officials found the comments were harassment, intimidation and bullying because they targeted a “distinguishing characteristic” under state law. The student received five detentions.

The child’s parent in 2015 challenged whether being a vegetarian met the legal definition of a distinguishing characteristic. A judge says yes.